Monthly Archives: March 2022

Business Advice, News

Brand Betrayal – how to handle face to face meetings post covid

First impressions count. Whether a business is welcoming prospects or existing customers, even potential new recruits, in a post-COVID environment the initial interaction is now, more than ever, a direct reflection on a business’ brand values. To handshake or not? Mask wear or not? From the moment the visit is booked through registration and into the meeting, the way a business interacts with its visitors will have a long-standing impact on the brand and, says Dan Harding, CEO, Sign In App explains, it is time to put serious thought into how best to make visitors feel welcome and safe.

Welcome Party

Face to face meetings are back; contractors are in demand. But how many companies are really thinking about what that means – to visitors, employees and the overall perception of the company?

After two years with little physical interaction, most companies have been very solicitous when it comes to reopening offices. Employees’ hybrid working demands are accepted and many businesses are asking employees to be vaccinated and boosted, as well as showing a negative Lateral Flow Test (LFT) before coming in to the business. Presenteeism is very much out of fashion: any individual with the smallest cough or sniffle is encouraged to stay at home.

So far so good. But what is the policy when it comes to welcoming visitors and contractors? Customers, prospects, potential recruits – these individuals need more than just a welcome, they need to be impressed. The pre-COVID focus on an attractive reception, good coffee and conversation provoking artwork in the meeting room is no longer the biggest factor when it comes to creating a great first impression. Visitors need to feel welcomed, safe and comfortable – and that takes work.

Planning Ahead

Businesses need to think ahead and ensure everyone’s expectations are set long before someone arrives in reception. No one wants to worry about whether or not they should wear a mask or, even worse, endure an uncomfortable should we / shouldn’t we moment regarding hand-shakes or social distancing. Who wants old school form filling and plastic name tags; however much hand sanitiser is offered?

An uncomfortable reception experience will set the scene. Why would a customer or prospect invest in a business that hasn’t had the foresight to think about how best to create a positive post-COVID visitor experience? What potential employee is going to feel confident to join a business that has got off to such a poor start.

The entire visitor process needs to be managed, planned and designed to minimise confusion and maximise confidence.

Setting the Scene

Using a visitor management system, visitors can be pre-registered, with contactless apps minimising the need for physical interaction when they arrive in reception. The pre-registration process also provides a chance to highlight the company’s health and safety strategies and ensure visitors know what to expect. A brief overview of company ‘meet and greet’ policies – including mask wearing, hand-shaking and distancing – avoids any confusion when they arrive. This can be supplemented with an option to request specific safeguards if preferred. A simple yes/no tick box for mask wearing, for example, would ensure every meeting attendee knows what the visitor is expecting and removes the risk of those uncomfortable moments when a visitor may be torn between wanting to ask for masks and feeling embarrassed – moments that have a negative impact on their perception of the business.

In addition, a company can choose to add a health questionnaire to the visitor registration process, including questions regarding vaccination and test status and where the individual has travelled recently. This reinforces the message that the business is committed to the health and well-being of its employees and business partners, providing the visitor with improved brand confidence even before the visit occurs.

Conclusion

It is fabulous to have visitors back on site and many people are looking forward to reinforcing relationships made over Zoom with face-to-face meetings. But businesses need to recognise that life has changed. Post COVID, the brand perception starts at the front door – and to maximise the value of these meetings the onus is on businesses to put serious thought into visitor policies and ensure everyone feels comfortable and confident from start to finish.

News

Chargebee Further Strengthens EMEA Senior Leadership to Drive Regional Growth Among Subscription and SaaS Businesses

Chargebee, the leading subscription management platform, today announced the promotion of fintech industry veteran Tarmo van der Goot to VP EMEA to help scale regional operations. Ash Lomberg will be taking on van der Goot’s previous role of Senior Director, joining Chargebee’s fast-growing European team.

These strategic appointments come at a time of exponential growth for Chargebee, which recently announced $250m in funding and the acquisition of customer-retention leader Brightback as well as collections management platform numberz. The appointments will further drive the company’s plans to bring added investment and resources to EMEA, including new data centres, more local offices and deeper technology integrations to respond to each region’s unique payments challenges.

Van der Goot is a seasoned business leader with over a decade of payments and e-commerce experience. He developed his passion for fintech during his two-year stint with buy-now-pay-later giant Klarna, where he was responsible for expanding the company’s partner ecosystem across the Netherlands, Germany and the Nordics. He has also held key leadership positions at 2Checkout, Cleverbridge and most recently at Chargify before he joined Chargebee in 2020.
“I have always viewed Chargebee as a formidable industry player, and it is an absolute honour to now be a part of the team,” said van der Goot. “I am particularly excited to deepen Chargebee’s market penetration in key areas, build out local, native-speaking support teams, and double down on our strategic advantage in bringing state-of-the-art revenue management solutions to our customers.”

Lomberg steps into van der Goot’s previous role, bringing decades of business transformation and sales leadership experience, having previously worked for leading media and technology companies. Most recently, he was Chief Commercial Officer at marketing technology provider Spotzer Digital, where he established a strong track record of driving growth and diversifying product portfolios.

With European headquarters in Amsterdam, and nearly half of all revenue coming from companies based in the region, Chargebee helps subscription and SaaS businesses across the continent to manage and understand revenue data. Chargebee’s integration with 23+ payment gateways and 100+ currencies lets merchants accept nearly all forms of payments anywhere in Europe like Sepa, Ideal Sofort and many others. The platform also supports 25+ languages and ensures compliance with local tax laws and GDPR privacy regulations.

“In May 2012, we onboarded our first customer based in Europe. Since then, we have grown not only our product, but our team and our customer base, including brand leaders like Pret A Manger, Danone, Personio and Bought By Many,” said Krish Subramanian, CEO and co-founder of Chargebee. “As we continue to grow both regionally and globally, we are excited to have experienced professionals like Tarmo and Ash leading the charge.”

To meet the team, join Tarmo at the upcoming Publishing Show on 8th March at the ExCel London, where he will be presenting the ‘Playbook to Scale Reader Revenue’, or visit Chargebee at Booth C15PS.

News

Independent for longer – new report exposes desire for independence and community in later life

The Fragmented UK report by Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of care and housing for people in later life, calls for an open and honest National Conversation about people’s desires and expectations in later life.

 

Expectation versus reality

Anchor’s research reveals a disparity between what younger people believe their parents want in terms of care in later life and what older people themselves say. Today, over half (54%) of 18-34 year olds and 42% of those aged 35 to 54 believe their parents will want family members to care for them in later life.

Yet only 16% of over 55s say they will want this to happen. Anchor’s research found that older age groups are more likely to cite “not being a burden” on family as a key part of their sense of independence.

 

Supply and demand chasm

While specialist retirement housing and care can play a significant role in supporting people to live independently for longer, there is low awareness of housing options for people in later life among the public. Anchor’s research shows 80% of people do not fully understand the options available to them. It is vital to increase awareness of these options to ensure people can make an informed decision. Anchor’s research identifies that, when asked what independence means to older people, retirement communities could be an effective way to meet their needs. Over 55s highlight four key areas which they associated with independence: making their own decisions = 82%, having control over their own financial decisions = 74%, living in their own home = 75%, and being able to pursue their current way of living = 69%.

With 35% of over-55s saying they would be very likely or quite likely to consider specialist retirement housing, and as the awareness of later life housing options increases, demand will continue to rise. The APPG on Housing & Care for Older People estimates a shortfall of 400,000 older people’s housing units by 2030[1]. Therefore, it is vital that a long-term strategy is put in place to address the gap.

 

Quality time together

Time spent with family, friends and local communities is invaluable in helping ensure a good quality of life. Anchor’s research reveals that 36% of young people (18–34) are now thinking about moving closer to their extended family – citing the pandemic as the primary reason.

The survey uncovered that as a nation, we value regular contact, which goes beyond special occasions, and simply spending time together at home.

Greater provision of specialist housing for people in later life across the country is key to enabling families to spend more quality time together in a way that suits their individual and group needs.

 

Fear of loneliness conquered by community

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fear of loneliness in later life. Even before the pandemic, levels of loneliness among older people have been cause for concern. Loneliness can have far-reaching consequences for mental and physical health – which in turn can impact already-stretched public services (lonely people are 1.3 times more likely to experience an emergency hospital admission[2]).

Anchor’s research reveals that nearly half of the public (45%) believe they will get lonelier as they get older. Even younger people are concerned about loneliness in later life, with 50% of under-55 year-olds expressing this fear.

Being involved with your local community can help alleviate loneliness. Anchor’s research shows that over half of the nation (55%) worry that people’s sense of community is disappearing.

Being part of a community is one of the key reasons many older people seek to move into specialist housing in later life. Brian Branson (78), who lives in Anchor’s Hampshire Lakes in Yateley, said:

“It’s a close-knit community. There is always someone to talk to and something to do, so I spend a lot of time with my neighbours. From Friday happy hours to themed dinner and drinks, I also enjoy attending regular events alongside my neighbours. I love the themed nights in particular: we once had a 60s-themed evening where I dressed up as Elvis Presley!”

“My sister-in-law Meryl was struggling with the upkeep of a four-bedroom house. She saw how much I was enjoying living at Hampshire Lakes and bought a place a couple of years after I did.”

 

The way forward

In the People at the Heart of Care: Social Care Reform White Paper, published in December 2021, the Government put a heavy focus on improving housing options for older people. This commitment has been echoed by the Levelling Up White Paper, published in February 2022, where the Government has committed to creating a task force focussing on housing for older people. These pledges, and the evidence in the Fragmented UK report, represents a clear opportunity to ensure housing forms a major part of the solution to address issues faced by our ageing population and the wider society.

 

Commenting on the report, Jane Ashcroft CBE, Chief Executive at Anchor, said: 

“Our Fragmented UK research shows how important independence and community are to older people. Specialist housing options can give people access to both, and we’ve seen demand rising significantly in the past few years.

“The Government’s commitment to a task force focussed on housing for older people is an important step in the right direction. We are now calling for the task force to be launched at the earliest opportunity to fully engage with all stakeholders including providers; unlocking investment and driving development to create more homes where people love living in later life.

“As our population ages, supply will continue to struggle to meet demand. It’s imperative that the barriers to development are addressed, so that everyone has the opportunity to live where they want and how they want.”

In response to the findings, Anchor is also calling for a National Conversation for all generations to talk about ageing and later life options.

 

Jane Ashcroft continued:

“We need to encourage families to discuss options available and choices to be made when it comes to housing, helping people make decisions early and plan better.

“Only through an open and honest conversation can we ensure that the needs and expectations of older people are properly understood, and that young people don’t fear getting older but are supported to better understand what can be possible in later life.”

[1] APPG on Housing and Care for Older People, Housing for people with dementia – are we ready? (2021): HCOP_APPG_Dementia_Housing_and_Care_Inquiry-LowRes.pdf (housinglin.org.uk)

[2]Social Finance, Investing to Tackle Loneliness (2015):  https://www.socialfinance.org.uk/resources/publications/investing-tackle-loneliness-discussion-paper

Appointments, London News, News, South East

Child Friendly Cleaning Brand Welcomes Justin King as an Investor and Advisor

 Justin King CBE has joined London-based sustainable cleaning products producer Nimble. The former Sainsbury’s CEO, who has invested in the company, will become an advisor to the business and a mentor to its founder, Von Sy.

Mr Sy, a Philippines native and a qualified chemist who moved to London and worked in R&D for multinational consumer goods company Unilever, founded Nimble in 2015. After becoming an uncle for the first time, he was shocked at the amount of chemicals used in many cleaning products and decided to create an effective alternative which was suitable for families with babies and young children.

Six years on, Von is now father to three young children of his own and Nimble has launched a range of six non-toxic, plant-based products for laundry, bottle-cleaning, surface cleaning and hand sanitising. These are currently available online and at over 900 sites in the UK, stocked by a range of retailers including Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

Justin King was initially introduced to the business at an online pitching event last year where he was highly impressed with the brand, its management team and the scientific rigour behind its products.

His appointment comes as Nimble is seeking to raise £200K through Crowdcube to scale up the business and invest in further product development supporting ambitious growth plans in both online and retail.

The global baby cleaning products market is anticipated to exceed (USD)$5bn per annum* by 2026 with eco cleaning products growing more than 5 times faster** than regular brands.

Nimble founder Von Sy said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have Justin King, a former head of a multibillion-pound retailer and respected industry thought-leader, joining our emerging business. In the short time we’ve known each other he’s given us a number of valuable insights and has been a real pleasure to work with.

“His appointment coincides with our crowdfunding campaign, another exciting step in our journey which began with the aim of making life easier for parents of young children by producing effective and sustainable cleaning products that are safe to use. As a father, I understand the anxiety that many parents feel about using potentially harmful household products and the growing desire to find sustainable, plant-based cleaning solutions which are kind to our planet.”

Justin King CBE said: “Von has impressed me with his energy and enthusiasm and he has developed unique products which have built a loyal following. I’m excited to be able to help him and his team build a unique and valuable business.”

Careers, Charity & CSR, Job Opportunities, Jobs, Midlands News, News

Businesses invited to secure their spot to hire new employees in Herefordshire

Award-winning supported employment and training charity, Landau, is organising its second Hereford job fair to help even more people across the county into work.

Following the success of its first Hereford jobs fair in October 2021, the charity is hosting a larger spring event at the Shell Store in Rotherwas on Wednesday, April 27.

The free event will bring together national, regional, and local organisations that are actively recruiting, as well as providing job seekers with support and advice on their search.

Caroline Richardson, head of employment services at Landau, said: “We’re inviting businesses who want to exhibit at the jobs fair and showcase their vacancies to job seekers to register their interest as soon as possible.

“We know the past few years have been challenging and this positive, inclusive event will bring together a range of businesses across Herefordshire. Alongside the jobs fair, we will also be incorporating a networking session so that those exhibiting can share details and opportunities with other organisations too.”

The free event is being delivered in partnership with The Marches Growth Hub, Hereford Enterprise Zone and Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and will begin with the business networking session at 10am. Doors will open to the public to meet potential employers at 12noon, and registration to exhibit or attend is free to everyone.

Caroline added: “The jobs fair that we held in October was hugely successful — with over 580 vacancies promoted at the event and a significant proportion of people finding employment as a result. We hope the spring edition will be just as popular with employers and job seekers alike.”

Each year Landau supports in the region of 3,000 individuals back into the workplace or into training schemes through its specialist support. Last year it was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its work in Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).

Companies interested in exhibiting at the event can secure their spot for free by contacting Landau’s employment engagement officer Karina Cullen on 07719555178 or by emailing karina.cullen@landau.co.uk.

Data & Analytics, Networks, News

Park Place Technologies’ Evolution Reflected in Expansion of Services Beyond Maintenance

Park Place Technologies, the leading global data centre and networking optimization firm, is employing R&D, innovation and strategic acquisitions to continue its evolution from pure-play TPM to a full portfolio of managed services, including software and hardware sales.

With an office footprint in 21 countries globally, and over 21,500 customers in 154 countries, the growth of Park Place, in tandem with the boom of technology infrastructure services has led to increased customer demand for a range of data centre services that can be employed, working with one supplier.  Park Place is happy to work with our customers to meet the demand for additional services beyond hardware maintenance.

Park Place thrives on innovation and accepting the challenges of customers’ ever-evolving needs.  Led by customer demand, market and organic growth and through a combination of internal R&D, innovations and aggressive acquisition activity, Park Place has built a full portfolio of managed services to bolster its core third-party data centre hardware maintenance: professional services, infrastructure managed services, network performance monitoring and hardware sales.

This is illustrated by the recent acquisition of Congruity360’s Storfirst software platform, the industry’s most secure, OEM- and platform-agnostic (cloud, hybrid cloud and on-prem) file system migration and information management software. Storfirst allows customers to manage the movement of their data from production servers to disaster recovery servers, on-prem and to the cloud; the software enables customers to control the movement of all file data.

Another recent innovation is Park Place’s exclusive ClearViewTM Contract Analyzer, which projects potential costs savings for maintenance considering a number of key factors including the customer experience, the hardware’s place in the workflow, compliance issues and associated risks. It also provides an objective recommendation on which devices should:

  • Stay with OEM support
  • Which should be moved to Park Place Hardware Maintenance support
  • Which should be moved to NetSure+ support, which leverages customer-owned and entitled spares purchased by the customer through Cisco’s authorized VAR channel (and are 100% compliant with Cisco policies).

Park Place worked with key industry analysts to establish an entirely new category, one that would link together a broad portfolio of services and products including Data Centre Hardware Maintenance, Professional Services, Infrastructure Managed Services, Network Performance Monitoring Software and Hardware Sales.

“We landed on ‘Data Centre and Networking Optimization Firm,’ as it distils specifically where our focus is in IT and emphasizes the end benefit for our customers – optimization,” said Park Place Chief Marketing Office Jennifer Deutsch. “Everything we do optimizes IT in some way – optimizes the performance of a customer’s infrastructure, optimizes the impact of their IT staff, or optimizes their IT spend.”

“It was important that we signalled change to those that are already familiar with us,” said Park Place President and CEO Chris Adams. “We’re much more than a TPM now, but with a 30-year history in Hardware Maintenance, we know that many IT leaders still think of us in that way.”

A recent campaign to communicate the evolution of Park Place, features the tagline, “Every OpportunIT Optimized.”  The unique play on words is intended to command reader attention and inspire IT decision makers to think of Park Place whenever they have a challenge.

“Park Place is well positioned to help IT teams deal with many of today’s challenges,” Adams said.  Ads in the new campaign demonstrate how Park Place services and products can benefit companies dealing with staffing shortage, skills gaps, supply chain issues and rising costs. In a change from past marketing, sometimes that solution comes from several elements of Park Place’s portfolio.

“A portfolio approach is important for us to grow our business, but it also greatly expands how we can help our customers. For example, in the past a customer that was refreshing hardware would no longer need maintenance and likely go on hiatus until their initial warranty ran out.  Now, in that same situation, we can sell them the hardware, we can help with disposition of their old assets, we can help them migrate data from the old hardware to the new and so much more.”

AI, News, Technology

New cutting edge wearable technology aims to cut injuries in the workplace

A revolutionary Artificial Intelligence based wearable technology that helps employees avoid physical injury at work, is being rolled out across the UK by Stanley, one of the leading providers of innovative technology in the workplace.  The wearable technology, which has been developed by Soter Analytics, and is being implemented in the UK by Stanley, comes as two integrated products  – Soter Coach and Soter Task.

Soter Coach delivers personalised coaching to workers using a wearable device and provides recommendations via a mobile app. It directly challenges the traditional classroom style of manual handling training, by identifying, addressing, and monitoring unsafe movement and posture whilst carrying out everyday activities as part of an employee’s role.  Using Soter Coach, a typical worker improves their ergonomic safety by reducing the hazardous back and shoulder movements they make by up to 55%.

Soter Task  is an AI-driven vision processing technology to assess ergonomic risk within tasks in minutes and on-the-go. This cloud-based solution combines video captured through a mobile application with AI-driven data analysis to accurately measure risk movements in the workplace, and help with ​implementing tools that keep workers safe. In this way it allows employees to manage their own physical wellbeing and helps businesses reduce the risk of injury.

Graham Sharp, MD of Stanley said;

“Workplace injuries are on the rise meaning the use of AI tech and wearable devices will be increasingly important over the coming years to help reduce this risk. Combined with litigation claims and worker shortages, using the small wearable device to improve business productivity, reduce company absenteeism and create a safer and healthier workplace makes for a compelling proposition. The intuitive system also allows for real-time learning and improvement providing personalised coaching to encourage behaviour change.  So for example if the wearer moves awkwardly or dangerously, the device provides feedback via audio or vibration.”

The new devices are already being trialled successfully with a global energy company who are now looking at rolling them out comprehensively  across their business.

Dail Wiens, Head of Partnerships at Soter Analytics said:

“It’s exciting to be working with Stanley. With our aligned consumer-centric goals, this collaboration brings together a powerful combination of leading products, broad technical expertise, and strong customer relationships, all dedicated to the same cause, to protect the well-being of employees”.

 

Charity & CSR, Midlands News, News

Pizza company searching for 2022 charity partner

A West Midlands business is searching for a charity partner for 2022, after raising thousands for children’s charity Barnardo’s in 2021.

Artisan pizza company Birtelli’s supported children’s charity Barnardo’s Christmas campaign Kidsmas, generating £5,000 and delivering early Christmas cheer to children and families supported by Barnardo’s.

Now the business is looking for a West Midlands-based charity which it will support through fundraising in 2022.

Jim Biryah, co-founder of Leamington Spa-based Birtelli’s which delivers pizza kits across the UK explains why fundraising for charities is a key part of the pizza company’s ethos.

He said: “We’re a new and growing business, but our mission is all about striving for a happier, better world.

“While we can bring moments of happiness and wellbeing to people’s homes with our pizzas and pizza kits, we’re committed to go beyond pizza and help make a tangible difference to the lives of vulnerable children and families or those who find themselves in need of a little support.

“Our partnership with Barnardo’s raised significant funds, that will make a huge difference to the lives of children and families the charity helps, and it’s made us determined to continue this work in 2022 and beyond.

“Now we’re looking for a new charity partner who we can support through fundraising and delivering moments of happiness to people’s lives.

“For 2022 we’re looking for a West Midlands-based charity, whose staff and the people they support, might also enjoy a pizza slice or two!

“We want to raise funds and provide support to help care for people, children and those who are less fortunate in our region.”

Birtelli’s two-month campaign with Barnardo’s included the delivery of home-grown produce-based pizza kits, including a special Christmas pizza, to help people and families spend time together, and enjoy the simple art of making and eating a pizza together.

Among those people who benefitted were staff and volunteers in the West Midlands who’ve worked tirelessly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, young people in Warwickshire living with families under Barnardo’s Supported Lodgings Service, and an 11-year-old young carer who has spent most of her life helping care for her younger siblings.

Aoibheann Doherty, community fundraising manager at Barnardo’s said: “The partnership with Birtelli’s really helped with our annual Kidsmas campaign and we’re so grateful for the support.

“Christmas time can be a fantastic time for many children, but for some children living in poverty or living in social isolation it can bring many challenges.

“Birtelli’s helped us inject some joy into Christmas last year, for both the children we care for and as a thank you to our own colleagues and volunteers who have worked so hard over the last 18 months.”

The partnership with Barnardo’s was a first for Birtelli’s, but Jim hopes it’ll be the first of many charity affiliations.

Jim added: “We’re determined to continue making a positive impact across the region for people who need help the most.

“We know just how much fundraising helps people, which is why we’re already searching for our next charity partner.

“In 2022 we hope that we can put the pandemic firmly behind us and raise even more money for charities.”

Charities who are interested in partnering with Birtelli’s should jim@birtellis.co.uk.

News, Telecoms

Winners of the MEFFYS 2022 announced LIVE at MWC, BARCELONA

The winners of the 2022 MEFFYS Awards have beeng announced.

The MEFFYS, hosted by the UK-based Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), celebrate innovation, creativity and ingenuity in the Mobile Ecosystem. This is when the industry has the opportunity to recognise, applaud and showcase those individuals and companies that have made a significant difference in 2021 across MEFs core ecosystems.

This year’s MEFFYS broke all previous records in its 17year history, with the largest ever number of nominees and votes.

There are seven award categories, and the winners are:

Personal Data & Identity – VOX CARRIER

Enterprise Communications – TANLA PLATFORMS LIMITED

Content & Advertising – AVATAR WORLD GROUP (AWG)

Global Connectivity – ORANGE

Mobile IoT – iBASIS

Payments – (A NON MEF MEMBER) FINBRAINE FINTECH PVT. LTD

Special Award: Personal Contribution to Sustainability ANDREW BUD, CBE, FRE ……with notable mention for DR MIKE SHORT CBE, INDERPAL MUMICK, and ANDY GLADWIN.

“The MEFFYS winners are nominated and voted by the professionals in the industry in an open online contest. This is a true representation of the sentiment in the industry.” Dario Betti the CEO of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum commented.

“Innovation in mobile is now global with winners from Europe, Latin America and Asia.  And, very importantly, these innovators are also looking at the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem.”

The winners were announced live at a red-carpet awards ceremony hosted by MEF on 28th February at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The MEFFYS was declared the event in Barcelona at the start of MWC. People queued to get in and enjoy a night of amazing performance art, live music, dinner, dancing and more…“We’d all like to send our congratulations to the winners of this year’s MEFFYS. Each award is well deserved and showcases companies and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the mobile ecosystem. Our awards nights get bigger and glitzier every year, and this year was no exception! We hope that the MEFFYS party will be a staple of future MWCs in the coming years.” said MEF CEO, Dario Betti.

Established in 2000 and headquartered in the UK, The Mobile Ecosystem Forum is a global trade body that acts as an impartial and authoritative champion for addressing issues affecting the broadening mobile ecosystem. MEF provides its members with a global and cross-sector platform for networking, collaboration and advancing industry solutions. The goal is to accelerate the growth of a sustainable mobile ecosystem that drives inclusion for all and delivers trusted services that enrich the lives of consumers worldwide.

ABOUT MEF

MEF (Mobile Ecosystem Forum) is a global trade body established in 2000 and headquartered in the UK with members across the world. As the voice of the mobile ecosystem, it focuses on cross-industry best practices, anti-fraud and monetisation. The Forum provides its members with global and cross-sector platforms for networking, collaboration and advancing industry solutions.

Web: https://mobileecosystemforum.com/

Marketing, PR and SEO, News, North of England, Social Media

Creative agency Fluid Ideas upgrades studio

Fluid Ideas has completed the latest revamp of its studio, adding meeting pods and other new features to suit the changing needs of staff and clients in an era of blended working.

The five-figure upgrade means the full-service creative agency has invested £175,000 over the past three years to transform its headquarters in line with its rapid growth and the evolving working environment.

Fluid is based in a converted cotton mill at Darley Abbey Mills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Derby. The agency has seen staff numbers surge from seven to 50 since it moved there in 2010.

Three new meeting pods are the centrepiece of the refurbishment. The pods provide sheltered breakout spaces at Fluid’s open-plan studio and are used for meetings, individual quiet working time and video calls.

The upgrade has also involved the introduction of hot-desking to support a more agile and collaborative approach to projects. Improvements to the technological infrastructure have been carried out across the studio and meeting spaces.

In addition, Fluid continues to provide its team with free membership of a gym situated below the studio, along with weekly fitness classes and other health and wellbeing benefits under its Fluid Happiness programme.

The agency celebrated its 18th birthday in January and posted record annual revenues of £3.2m in the year to November, boosted by increased business from existing clients and a raft of new wins.

Joint managing director Ed Bowler said: “The pandemic has proved that the old ways aren’t the only ways of working.

“Our team has expanded both in size and geographically and, in many ways, the studio has become even more important in creating a central hub where people can connect and collaborate.

“We’ve proved that we can be successful working remotely, but we also believe the best work happens together.

“Being in the studio means colleagues can be energised by one another and feel part of something bigger – there’s a chemistry that you just can’t recreate on Teams or Zoom.

“However, this isn’t just about the practicalities of studio working. There’s an emotional side to it too. We want our team to feel proud when they walk through the door, and we want our clients to feel like they belong here just as much as we do.

“That approach seems to be resonating, as more and more of the brands we work with are choosing our studio for their own board meetings or creative sessions.

“It brings us closer together, and it means they benefit from fresh surroundings, which in turn can stimulate new ideas.”

Fluid Ideas is a full-service creative agency whose operations cover branding and campaigns, graphic and website design, computer-generated imagery, 3D animation and video, photography, copywriting, digital marketing, content management and social media – all in-house.

Its client base spans sectors including healthcare, retirement living, property, professional services, education, finance, leisure and hospitality.